Remembering the Phoenix Lights of 1997

The Phoenix Lights of '97 was one of the
biggest massive UFO sightings in history. Even to this day there are
many theories to what the lights over the skies of Phoenix could have
been. Lights of varying descriptions were seen over the skies of Phoenix
on March 13th, 1997.

There were seen from Phoenix to the
edge of Tucson. There were two events that were seen in the skies, one
of the formation of lights that had a triangle formation were seen
passing over the state while another set of lights just stayed
stationary over the Phoenix area.

The US Air Force claimed that
these stationary lights were flares that were dropped by an A-10 Warthog
aircraft which was on a training exercise.

Most of the public disagreed
that what they were seeing resembled flares. One Witness described the V shaped craft divided itself into two separate
crafts as it moved towards the city of Tucson. Some highly reliable
witnesses came forward who served in the Vietnam war and the other was a
retired pilot.

The men saw the objects at different
times and places but both men described the craft of "immense-size"
measuring up to a mile long in the skies. One of the pilots videotaped
the UFO but said that it was confiscated by the Men in Black.

Dr. Bradley Evans, 47, is a clinical psychiatrist from Tucson. He and
his wife, Kris, were driving north on Interstate 10 to a swimming meet
in Tempe.

They watched the lights for 20 minutes or so move slowly south
in a diamond formation and pass over them at an estimated 1,500 feet.
Even then, with the car's moon roof open, they heard not a sound from
the sky.

He was "awed" by the experience and has no idea what he saw.
Kris said she couldn't explain it either and guesses it was "something
military."

Trig Johnston, 50, is a retired commercial airline pilot
who lives in north Scottsdale. His 22-year-old son was looking for Comet
Hale-Bopp that night when he noticed the lights and told his dad. "I
looked up and remember saying out loud, 'I'm going to chalk this up to
an illusion.'"

Lights of varying descriptions were seen by thousands of people. One of the first reports came from a man who claimed he saw a V-shaped object above Henderson, Nevada.

He said it was about the "size of a (Boeing) 747", sounded like "rushing wind", and had six lights on its leading edge. The lights reportedly traversed northwest to the southeast.

"It was the size of 25 airliners, moving at about 100 knots at maybe 5,000 feet, and it didn't make a sound. I've flown 747s across oceans and not seen anything like I saw that night," Johnston said. "I don't expect anybody to take my word for it," he added. "This was something you had to see for yourself to believe."

Max Saracen, 34, is a real estate consultant who lives in north Phoenix. He and his wife, Shahla, were driving west on Deer Valley Road when they saw a huge triangular craft. They pulled off the road, got out and watched it pass overhead.

"It was very spooky -- this gigantic ship blocking out the stars and silently creeping across the sky. I don't know of any aircraft with silent engines."

Dr. X is a physician who lives near Squaw Peak in Phoenix and asked to remain anonymous for fear of ridicule. Her home has an elevated, panoramic view of the Valley, and she has some of the best known videotape and photographs of the lights. Though she had no prior interest in UFOs, the episode prompted her to begin her own investigation.

"I think what happened is mind-boggling," she said. "I'm trying to be as scientific as I can, and a number of things just don't compute."

The fact there were so many witnesses proves that this wasn't some sort of mass-hysteria or illusion but what were people seeing in the skies over Phoenix?

The lights were large and bright and did not resemble normal aircraft lights. It is possible that people witnessed some sort of experimental military aircraft. This theory seems logical.

The US Air Force claimed the stationary lights were flares but many disagree with this theory. Some theories stated that the US Air Force may have intentionally dropped flares within the area to deceive the public on to what was happening.

The USAF flare theory doesn't seem logical.

There was speculation that this could have been a U.S.
psychological operation (PSYOP) of some kind and that aircraft were equipped with some sort of holographic projection equipment that may have created the illusion of a large aircraft.

If this is so, then the question that arises is why? Some sort of test that the US Air Force conducted within the area? Some reports indicated the lights were first seen around the area of Area 51. This theory is possible.

And of course there is the theory that what people witnessed did not come from our world.

This could be an actual UFO and have nothing to do with the US military. With all the sightings in the world and strange reports of people seeing UFOs it is logical to assume that we are being visited from a species that is not from our planet. This theory may seem crazy to some but it is logical.

The chances that the human race is the only intelligent species in the vast universe that we live in is very remote.